Hawthorn
Holly's POV
Holly and Mandrake exchanged glances with each other as Hawthorn turned and sauntered off into the sunlight; you'd never have guessed that there was an army of brain-dead zombi dragons on their way.
"Should we follow him?", Mandrake asked.
"He seems all right", Holly said. "And we were sent to see him, after all."
"We'll go", Sundew said, "but carefully."
They all nodded, (except Nettle) and edged through the clearing.
The plants were trimed and cut, leaving room for grass to grow in patches of sun.
A vegetable garden took up about a quarter of the clearing.
And in the middle, there was a small, hexaginal hut.
Holly didn't see any Breath of evil, but she still felt it, creeping along the edges of her mind like a vine of guilt and deceit.
"Come in, come in!", Hawthorn called to them from the doorway.
"Welp, nothing dangerous going on", Holly whispered to Mandrake. "Totally not a war going on."
"Right."
The inside of Hawthorn's hut was breezy and warm. For some reason, it made Holly think of a pink spa; the rose-colored curtains made the sunlight change from gold to pink.
The hut was only one room, so, unless Holly was greatly mistaken, it wasn't meant for four dragons, plus or minus a human/ Leafwing, and one tiny Hivewing dragonet.
Carved wooden statues sat on the shelves on all of the walls.
"Did you make these?" Cricket asked.
"Yes. I have a lot of time on my talons. I was so lonely, I decided to make myself some friends."
He patted an egg-shaped statue, on a table by the window.
"They make better friends than you'd think", he said, probably seeing Holly's face, which she was trying desprately to keep straight.
"I can't help but notice you're a Hivewing", he said to Cricket. Does that mean peace has finally been achieved between the tribes?"
Nettle snorrted. "Peace? Not even close. This one's really more of an ex-Hivewing, according to the idiots who believe her."
"Ah", Hawthorn said, digging through a cabnet.
"Traitor to her tribe, eh?"
"No!", Cricket said. "Just the opposite! I want to save them!"
"Oh, right", his muffled voice responded. "I get the feeling."
He emerged, smiling. "If I knew there were vistors coming, I would have made more cups! But these are all I have, so it will have to do."
He put down three wooden cups and a stone jar on the small table.
"We'll just have to share then."
"Um, we're kind of in a rush. I don't think we have enough time for tea", Holly said.
Unless, by some bizzare chance, you have Bobba.
"It won't be long", Hawthorn said. "There's a hot spring in the back. I even have honey!"
He started for the door.
"No, really", Sundew said. "The tribe is in danger. We need to get back before Wasp attacks, which might be as soon as tonight."
"Oh", Hawthorn said, looking alarmed.
"That is serious! Really worth mentioning. Yes, I would call that important news. Someone is quite clever, I see."
He put a talon on his egg and frowned.
"You know about the Breath of evil", he said.
"We know that it's linked to the mind control", Sundew said."We were hoping-"
"Did Sequoia send you?", Hawthorn interupted eagerly. "I mean. . . . . is she still queen?"
"Yes", Willow answered.
"Still alive! I can hardly believe it. Did she send you? What did she say about me?"
"That you've been working on a cure for the mind control", Sundew said.
"She said you know more about it than anyone else."
"Ha!", he said."That is true, isn't it? I mean, that was her intention, sending me here. I've been here so long, I really should know quite a lot at this point."
"Are you using it on the vipers?", Cricket asked.
"Is that why they listen to you?"
"So they obey you?", Nettle asked. "You can just order them around?"
"Too many questions! I really don't see how I can do this without tea", Hawthorn said, grabbing a teapot and heading out of the room.
Hawthorn scooted back inside, steam rising from the pot.
He shook out a few tea leaves and poured the water over them.
"Please, help yourselves!", he invited. "I'm really quite proud of this tea. Nobody to share it with for so long-"
"Um, we're really short on time, Hawthorn", Willow said gently.
"Yes. Of course", he said, smile fading.
"I'm surprised it took Sequoia so long to send someone. I was begining to thing that my mesages didn't get through."
"Messages?", Mandrake asked.
"Well", Hawthorn said, "I was forbiden to return to the village, wasn't I?"
"You were?", Holly echoed.
"I sent messages however I could", he said.
"Coconuts down the river, tied to the legs of monkeys and birds. I even sent a few of my snakes, but they were all killed before they got there."
"And what did the messages say?", Holly asked. "Did you find an andidote?"
"I think so", Hawthorn said.
"That's great!", Cricket said. "So why are you sad?"
"Oh, it's just, all the time I've lost. . . . . all the years I could have spent with Sequoia."
Cricket sat down next to him and lay her talon on top of his.
He flitched, as though his instinct was to pull away, but he didn't.
"I'm sorry for all you've been through", she said, "but what you're doing is so important. You're going to save so many dragons, Hawthorn. When the Hivewings are freed, you're going to be a hero. The Leafwing who devoted his life to saving them! You're antidote is going to rescue my mother. It means everything to me."
Hawthorn sniffed and pulled away his talon to swipe at his eyes again.
"That is something. If it works. . . . . I'll be glade to know that it wasn't all for noting.
And I know I deserved this. I told the queen I understood, and I meant it. It was the best punishment."
"Punishment?", Holly said.
"But didn't you volunteer?"
"What were you punished for?", Sundew asked.
He blinked and looked at them, surprise writen on his face.
"Didn't she tell you why I'm here?"
"You're here to find antidote", Mandrake said. "Um. . . right?"
"I'm here because I'm the one who rediscovered the Breath of evil after everyone thought it was gone", Hawthorn said, "and I'm the one who gave it to Wasp."
A/N: This took way too long.
Anyways, if you enjoyed, remember to add a vote, comment and share!
Wordcount: 1112
Renx out!
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